3 Idiots (2009)

170 minutes. That’s how long 3 Idiots runs, and nearly every one of them is trying to make you laugh, cry or rethink your major. It’s way too much, and you won’t want any of it cut. The honest problem is the swings. It jumps from slapstick to real heartbreak about student pressure without much warning, and a couple of big emotional beats get spelled out like a lecture from the front row. Aamir Khan plays Rancho as the guy who answers every rule with a better question, and it works even though he’s clearly been in college for a very long time. Boman Irani’s Virus, with his strict schedule and his speech about the astronaut pen, is the stern college boss every movie wishes it had. Omi Vaidya’s Chatur gets a speech gag people still bring up. An 8.5 because it’s a comedy with a real argument about what school is for, even when it runs long. $7 says you say all is well out loud the next time something breaks.

What works: Aamir Khan’s easy charm, Boman Irani’s gloriously strict Virus, and a real argument about learning versus memorizing that lands.

What doesn’t: It swings from slapstick to heavy grief with little warning, and a few emotional beats get explained like a classroom lecture.

Who it’s for: Students, former students, and anyone who got told which career to pick before they could drive.